Polishing apparatus



Sept. 22, 1964 K. G. Hass PoLIsHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 6, 1962 Sept- 22, 1964 K. G. HEss 3,149,441

POLISHING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 6, 1962 2 Shee't,s-S'neel'I 2 United States Patent 3,149,441 PLSHING APPARATUS Kenneth G. Hess, Sheboygan, Wis., assigner to Polar Ware Company, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Sept. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 221,731 5 Claims. (Cl. 51-147) This invention relates to a polishing apparatus and, more particularly, to an article polishing apparatus for polishing articles of varying contour without requiring the use of a template.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved article polishing apparatus.

Another object of ythis invention is to provide a polishing apparatus for articles in which an abrasive member on a movable support is yieldably urged with a constant pressure against an article and a mounting for said support is automatically adjusted as the support follows the contour of the article.

Another object of the invention is to provide a polishing apparatus having an abrading member with means for positioning said member in an operative position relative to an article to be polished including, a base, a first movable member movably mounted'on said base, a second movable member movably mounted on said first movable member and carrying said abrading member, means yieldably urging said second movable member in one direction, and means responsive to the position of the second movable member on the irst movable member to control the position of the rst movable member on said base.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a side elevational View of the polishing apparatus with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus on an enlarged scale and with parts shown in different operative positions.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, -there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail an embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

As shown in the drawings, a main frame has an upstanding column 11 at one end thereof on which is mounted a rotatable chuck 12 for receiving and rotating an article 13 to be polished. As shown, this article may be a contoured shell, such as a large pan or other metal receptacle.

The main frame has a machine platform 14 movable toward and away from the column 11 along ways, one of which is indicated at 15, with movement being imparted thereto by an hydraulic cylinder 16 having its piston 17 connected to the platform 14. The movement imparted to the platform 14 positions the apparatus relative to the column 11.

A pedestal 18 upstanding from the platform 14 has a pivotal section indicated generally at 19 supporting a base 29. The base 2G has guideways, one of which is indicated at 21, for a rst support 22 movable thereon along a path either toward or away from the column 11. The iirst support 22 extends upwardly from the base terminating at an end 22a and has a lateral flange 23 which movably mounts thereon a second support 24. The second support 24 is of a generally box-like construction and is mounted, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, by pairs of upper and lower rollers 25 thereon engaging the upper and lower faces of the ange 23 so that the support is 3,149,441 Patented Sept. 22., 1964 guided for linear movement toward and away from the column 11. The second support 24 has an opening 26 in a wall 27 thereof to permit movement of the support relative to the flange 23 due to the oversizing of the opening 26.

The second support 24 carries an abrasive member in the form of an endless belt 2S having upper and lower paths, and passing about a rubber surfaced drive and guiding pulley 29 mounted at the end of the second support 24 and at the other end about a take-up pulley 30 which is urged outwardly by a spring 31 to prevent slack in the belt 28. The abrasive belt has a generally right-angular path, with the upper reach thereof changing direction as it passes about a pulley 32 and a lower reach changing direction as it passes about an idler pulley 33. The abrasive belt, as seen in FIGS. l and 2 as it passes around drive pulley 29 is at the furthest extremity of the apparatus, so that it is free to engage the article 13. The belt is driven from a motor 34 by a drive belt 35, passing about the motor pulley 36, and a pulley 37 mounted coaxially with the abrasive belt drive pulley 29 and -rotatable therewith. The second support 24, due to its movement relative to the first support 22, requires a variable positioning of the belt relative to the rst support 22 and this is accomplished by the yieldable take-up pulley 30. This take-up pulley is mounted on a laterally extending arm 33 of the rst support 22 with a mounting block 39 movably disposed Within the arm and engaged by the spring 31.

The abrasive belt 2S is yieldably urged toward the article 13 with a predetermined pressure by means of a fluid pressure cylinder 40 having one end pivotally mounted at 41 to the lateral flange 23 of the first support and the piston rod 42 connected at 43 to the second support 24. This cylinder is supplied with air from a supply through a pressure regulator 44 and line 4S to have the abrasive belt urged against the article 13 with a predetermined force. In addition to the pressure -required for polishing, this will cause the abrasive belt to follow the contour of the article. As the second support 24 shifts, the iirst support 22 follows to limit the relative movement between said supports.

The first support 22 is controlled in its position on the base 20 by means responsive to the position of the second support 24 on the first support 22. This means comprises a fluid pressure cylinder Sti, mounted by means of a bracket S1 to the base 2li and having its piston rod 52 connected to a plate 53 secured to the rst support 22. The cylinder 50 is an hydraulic cylinder providing for entry of fluid under pressure to either end thereof through either of lines 54 or 55 and with the flow being determined by a valve 56 mounted to a plate 57 on the first support 22 and having a valve stem 53 engageable by an arm 59 secured to an end of the second support 24. The valve 56, which may be a commercially available stylus valve marketed by TrueT race, is supplied with pressure iluid through a line 69 and connected to tank through another line (not shown). The valve 56 has a center position for the valve member with a no-ow condition and if the valve stem 58 shifts to the right, as viewed in FIG. 2, pressure uid is caused to flow through line 54 to the left end of the cylinder 50 to move the first support 22 on the base 20 a distance sufficient until the valve stem 58 has contacted the arm 59 on the second support and the valve member has moved to its central position. This will restore the predetermined relation between the supports to permit further article following movement by the belt and second support. If the belt is forced away from the article chuck, the arm 59 on the second support 24 will shift the valve stem 58 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2, to cause pressure iluid to ow through line 55 to the right-hand end Y 3 of hydraulic cylinder 50 and move the first support 22 on the base away from the column 11 to return the supports to their predetermined relation.

Various operative positions of the polishing apparatus are shown in FIG. 2 with the full line position being one in which the basic belt is in an eXtreme position in a corner of the article and with broken line positions to either side thereof showing positions of the abrasive belt to either side of the eXtreme position. In the broken line position indicated with the let-ter A and moving to the full line position, it is necessary that the second support 24 move outwardly on the first support 22, which will be caused by the pressure in air cylinder 40 and the maintenance of the relation between supports will be maintained by the action of the valve 56 in controlling the hydraulic cylinder 50, to cause the first support 22 to move and follow the action of the second support 24. In moving from the full line position to broken line position C, the reverse action occurs in which the second support 24 moves backwardly against the air pressure in the air cylinder 40 and this will lresult in the arm 59 operating the valve to actuate the hydraulic cylinder to retract the first support 2?.. Movements of the polishing apparatus to an inoperative position are accomplished through the hydraulic cyiinder 16 supported on the frame 1t). Additional mechanism (not shown) causes movement of the abrasive belt between the axis of chuck rotation and the periphery of the rotating article, but this does not form any part of the present invention.

It will be seen from the foregoing disclosure that a structure has been provided in which an article may be polished uniformly without the use of a template, which means that a large supply of templates for varying shapes of articles need not be maintained and thus the apparatus is universal in its application to polishing certain shapes of articles.

I claim:

1. A polishing apparatus for polishing articles comprising, an endless belt, means for moving said belt, and means for maintaining said belt against an article with a pressure within a predetermined range including a movable mounting for the belt having a first part carrying the belt movably mounted on a second part, yieldable means for urging the first part and the belt against an article, and hydraulic means including a value responsive to predetermined movement of the first part relative to the second part to move the second part to restore the first part to a predetermined relation with the second part.

2. A polishing apparatus comprising a base, means supporting an article to be polished relative to said base, a first support movably mounted on said base, a second support movably mounted on said first support, a polishing belt movably mounted on said second support, drive means on said second support for said belt, means connected between said first and second supports urging said supports apart, power means operatively connected between said base and said first support for moving said first support relative to the base, and means responsive to the position of the second support on the first support for controlling the operation of said power means.

3. A polishing apparatus for polishing an article without requiring the use of' templates, comprising, a mounting for an article to be polished, a base, a first support mounted on said base for movement toward and away from said mounting, a second support mounted on said first support for movement toward and away from said mounting, an abrasive belt carried on said second support, a first fluid pressure cylinder connected between said base and first support for controlling the position of said first support, a second fiuid pressure cylinder between said first and second supports, means for applying a predetermined fluid pressure to said second cylinder to urge the second support and the abrasive belt toward the mounting, and valve means operatively connected to said first fiuid pressure cylinder md operable by said second support to control flow of fluid to said first cylinder for positioning of said first support.

4. A polishing apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said second support has a plurality of pulleys, said abrasive belt passing around said pulleys, and a drive motor on said second support for driving one of said pulleys.

5. A polishing apparatus for polishing an article without requiring the use of templates, comprising, a mounting for an article to be polished, a base, a rst support mounted on said base for movement toward and away from said mounting, a second support mounted on said first support for movement toward and away from said mounting, abrasive means carried on said second support, a first motor connected between said base and first support for controlling the position of said first support, a second motor between said first and second supports for urging the second support and said abrasive means toward the mounting, and means operatively connected to said first motor and operable by said second support to control operation of said second motor for positioning of said first support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,939,674 Elskamp Dec. 19, 1933 1,966,930 Leander July 17, 1934 2,470,221 Mott May 17, 1949 2,558,300 Knapp June 26, 1951 2,573,220 Riedesel et al Oct. 30, 1951 2,718,732 Comstock Sept. 27, 1955 2,724,934 Urquhart Nov. 29, 1955 2,811,874 Rethoret Nov. 5, 1957 

2. A POLISHING APPARATUS COMPRISING A BASE, MEANS SUPPORTING AN ARTICLE TO BE POLISHED RELATIVE TO SAID BASE, A FIRST SUPPORT MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, A SECOND SUPPORT MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST SUPPORT, A POLISHING BELT MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND SUPPORT, DRIVE MEANS ON SAID SECOND SUPPORT FOR SAID BELT, MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SUPPORTS URGING SAID SUPPORTS APART, POWER MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID BASE AND SAID FIRST SUPPORT FOR MOVING SAID FIRST SUPPORT RELATIVE TO THE BASE, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION OF THE SECOND SUPPORT ON THE FIRST SUPPORT FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF SAID POWER MEANS. 